Tuesday, 25 January 2011

Roasted tomato and sweet potato soup with a drizzle of basil oil

I'm back!Sorry, it's been a while.. Hope you are all well, and dodging all the seasonal germs that are out there. Happy new year by the way, better late than never.The new year often comes with the sudden need to revalue ourselves and the way we live our lives. We have this urge to better who we are. Stop smoking, lose weight, drink less alcohol, get more physically active and so on.I agree that it's good to try to improve ourselves. In fact, that should be an ongoing activity throughout the year, and throughout are lives for that matter.I am however sceptical to new year resolutions. I think as soon as we call it "a new years resolution" we're heading for a fall. Realistically, how many new years resolutions have you actually followed through?Speaking for myself, I can't even mention one.I believe that change will come when you are well prepared, you are in the right mind set, and you are ready to make the commitment to change.And that will not just happen automatically, because you need to change your calendars.The "home improvement" I am working on is to get moving more.It so easy when the weather is cold and grey to get a bit lazy. That has definitely happened to me. Leaving me feeling tired and sluggish. I can't wait for the spring to come and lift this old grey woolly blanket and shower the ground with pretty flowers.But until that happens I'll make a head start with this revitalizing delicious soup followed by a quick power walk across the back fields. Who knows, maybe I'll find some early signs of spring.

Roasted tomato and sweet potato soup serves 6

16 tomatoes

1 big sweet potato

3 cloves of garlic

1 table spoon of tomato puree

200ml single cream

chicken or vegetable stock

salt, pepper and granulated sugar to taste

Cut the sweet potato in half (length ways) and place in the oven with the garlic (skin on) and the tomatoes (whole). Roast on a baking tray for about an hour in a medium hot (200C) oven, or until the skin of the tomatoes start to turn black. Leave it to cool down slightly, before you remove the skin from the tomatoes. It is very important to let the tomatoes cool down, since they will be extremely hot. Use a spoon to dig out the soft flesh of the sweet potato and place in a blender with the tomatoes and the garlic. You can easily squeeze out the soft centre of the garlic ones roasted. The roasted garlic has a much milder taste than if used fried or raw. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Use only as much stock as you feel necessary, to achieve the right thickness of the soup. I prefer a slightly thicker soup, but if you use more stock it will feed more people. I use sugar to counteract the sourness in the tomatoes on offer in England this time of year. If your tomatoes has been grown in a warmer climate, sugar might not be needed.Ones you are happy with your soup, heat it in a pan to ensure it is hot enough. But do not boil.My finishing touch to the soup is a drizzle of basil oil. Simply bash a hand full of fresh basil in a pestle and mortar, slowly adding 100ml of virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Heaven!Enjoy!